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'Disappointed, Hurt' - McCullum On How Ben Stokes Is Coping With Series Loss In Pakistan

Akshita Patel

Ben Stokes led England lost three-game Test series in Pakistan (@dhillow_/X.com)Ben Stokes led England lost three-game Test series in Pakistan (@dhillow_/X.com)

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England Test captain Ben Stokes led his team to a shameful series defeat in Pakistan despite taking an early 1-0 lead in the three-game series. Head coach Brendon McCullum spoke to BBC and revealed that Stokes was not only hurt by the defeat but also by his personal substandard form as an all-rounder.

Ben Stokes, struggling with a hamstring injury, saw England take a historic innings and 47-run win against Pakistan in Multan from the dressing room. However, little did he imagine witnessing a dramatic turnaround after his comeback. England struggled to combat the spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali on a used Multan pitch, and the adversities only enhanced on Rawalpindi's rank turner.

Ben Stokes 'hurting' after series loss vs Pakistan

Stokes, personally, scored just 53 runs in four innings and zero wickets in 10 overs he managed to bowl. To add to the misery, the skipper embarrassed himself with an unwarranted no-shot LBW dismissal against Noman. Indeed, the rare series defeat was tough to take for Ben Stokes. 

Recently, head coach Brendon McCullum spoke to BBC news and revealed that the skipper is definitely disappointed and hurting to let the team down. However, England also understands how tough character Stokes is and that it's his responsibility to wrap an arm of support around him to ensure a stronger comeback.

"He's disappointed but he's our skipper and we know he's tough. He'll make sure he'll come back. It's our job to make sure we wrap our arms around him and help him along the way. "We all know how competitive and driven the skipper is. He'll be hurting right now with how the series has unfolded," the coach said.

Not only that, the former New Zealand cricketer acknowledged that the injury setback subconsciously affected Ben Stokes' decision-making on the field as he struggled to respond to Saud Shakeel's counterattack in Rawalpindi.

"That injury was quite significant. He had to put in a lot of graft and subconsciously maybe you're not quite as screwed down as you can be in terms of decision-making. That's natural," he added.

McCullum praises Noman-Sajid's lethal duo

Brendon McCullum credited Pakistan for putting pressure on England by smartly using the spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali. He revealed how both the spinners use different spin variations. While Noman threw the ball slowly, Sajid was quicker. 

This tactic unsettled English batters who couldn't sustain the pressure, which eventually led to the brutal series loss. The head coach was also surprised by the fact that it took this long for Pakistan to figure out its strength, i.e., spin unlike other subcontinent countries.